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Senate Democrats Reject McDonnell's Call to Arm Teachers

RICHMOND, VA — Senate Democrats issued the following statement today in response to Governor Bob McDonnell's call that we should consider arming school teachers and principals to prevent gun violence:

Senator Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax), Democratic Leader, said, "And when that fails to stop this, what's next? Arm the students? If teachers wanted to carry guns in order to do their day job, they would have become policemen."

Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico), Democratic Caucus Chair, said, "I am appalled. There are more guns in America than people, and yet we have one of the highest rates of gun violence in the world. The Governor should know better than to suggest that arming citizens will solve anything. Maybe the Governor should focus on solutions that could actually have an impact, like banning the high-capacity magazines used to inflict horrific violence upon countless American cities, from Aurora to Newton."